Vocational Training: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what record his Department holds of the number of women in Preston who have visited an information and communications technology training centre in order to gain return to work skills in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: Table 1 shows participation by females in LSC-funded learning, within the information and communications technology (ICT) sector subject area. Information is given from 2005/06 onwards, the earliest year for which we have comparable information.
	Information is not available on the number of learners who have visited an ICT training centre.
	
		
			  Table 1: Females on courses in the information and communications technology sector subject area, Preston parliamentary constituency 
			   Further education enrolments  Apprenticeship starts  Train to gain starts 
			 2005/06 6140 (1)- 10 
			 2006/07 4770 (1)- 10 
			 2007/08 4510 (1)- 10 
			 2008/09(2) 4240 (1)- 20 
			 (1)( )Figure of less than (2) Provisional.  Source: Individualised learner record  Notes: 1. FE and train to gain figures for 2008/09 are not directly comparable to earlier years as the introduction of demand led funding has changed how data is collected and how funded learners are defined from 2008/09 onwards. More information on demand led funding is available at: http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/funding-policy/demand-led-funding.htm. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten. 3. Figures for Preston parliamentary constituency are based on home postcode of the learner. 4. Figures for further education include further education, adult and community learning, University for Industry. 5. Figures for further education are based on aims/enrolments-an aim will be counted in every year for which a learner is participating on that course. A learner may participate on more than one aim.